Preaching Murder is Free Speech?

Only a matter of minutes ago, I saw this article on Twitter and Breitbart.

A Islamic preacher who has referred to non-Muslims as “kuffar” and preached on how to kill homosexuals is due to deliver a set of nightly lectures at an Iranian government-backed organisation in London, Breitbart London can reveal.

Shaykh Hamza Sodagar – who gained notoriety earlier this year for his lecture on “one of five” ways to kill homosexuals – is due to speak at the Islamic Republic of Iran School in north-west London between October 4th – 12th.

According to a speaker biography, Mr. Sodagar regards himself as a “role model” for “young Muslims all around the world”. A recent video of the preacher features Mr. Sodagar stating:

“If there’s homosexual men, the punishment is one of five things. One – the easiest one maybe – chop their head off, that’s the easiest. Second – burn them to death. Third – throw ’em off a cliff. Fourth – tear down a wall on them so they die under that. Fifth – a combination of the above”.

I asked the simple question, “how is this legal?” Someone responded to me with, “freedom of speech.”

As a lover of free speech and someone who will always fight for diversity of viewpoint (which is the only kind of diversity that really matters in this world), I was shocked by this response.

I was always taught that free speech is healthy, even when it’s something you disagree with. But that it doesn’t give you the right to yell out “fire” in a crowded theater when there isn’t one. That would be a crime. Common sense, right? Yes, we have freedom of speech. We also have consequences. Apparently, there are some who don’t foresee the potential for consequences.

I have to ask how allowing this preacher to give a series of talks about how to best murder gays or any other subject of this nature isn’t considered yelling fire in a crowded theater?

I once heard Milo Yiannopoulos say that bigots should be given the biggest platform. I agree with this wholeheartedly. How else can we know their awful views and protect ourselves from them? We need to know how they think so we can react. Well, this man’s awful viewpoints are well known. As many times as Milo has been harassed and banned from college campuses, he’s never told his audiences to kill someone. In fact, he’s the one constantly in danger of being killed. Am I wrong to believe that a certain line needs to exist in the same way that I believe yelling out fire in a crowded theater is wrong and should be a crime?

When we don’t speak out against this kind of thing and say that it’s protected under free speech, we aren’t just giving a platform to bigots. No. It’s something else entirely. We’re giving a man a platform where he can further radicalize Muslims already living in London who can then go on to commit horrific crimes. As if Europe didn’t have enough problems with radical Islam already.

I leave room to be wrong on the subject. Maybe I have a thing or two to learn about free speech. But this kind of logic sounds like allowing a Nazi to come to a University to preach about how killing Jews is not only appropriate, but merciful, to an audience of young military age German men. Forgive me while exercise my right to call bullshit on that.

Here’s the lesson boys and girls. If you’re a Muslim preaching the best ways to slaughter gays, you’re not a threat. If you’re an openly gay Jew who never shuts up about his black boyfriend, you’re a threat. And you will be banned from college campuses.